I think I’m going to make myself unpopular.<\/p>\n
\nOver at Popsci<\/em>, Henry advocates<\/a> the murder of a reasonable percentage of the population. Elsewhere on the web this week I have read how over a million Londoners are quite obviously stupid for voting in Boris Johnson<\/a> as Mayor of London. And just about everywhere we see nasturtians cast at the mental prowess of millions of people who \u2014 often through no fault of their own \u2014 fail to accept evolutionary theory as a mechanistic explanation for the immense beauty and variety of life around us.<\/p>\n \nThis is a disturbing trend. <\/p>\n \nThe biggest failure of (_shudder_) the blogosphere is the people behind it. <\/p>\n \nIf you think Boris Johnson is bad for London or Gordon (is a moron)<\/span> Brown is the worse thing since France, then calling people who voted for them stupid, or taxi-drivers, or Daily Mail<\/em> readers, or pinko lefty commies is not actually going to win you many converts. <\/p>\n \nEqually, I seriously doubt for example that sciencey weblogs, especially those over at a certain place<\/a> , are doing the perception of science and scientists any good at all when their major message seems to be “Creationists are stupid, and I’m a scientist, so you’d better shut up and believe me.” <\/p>\n \nLeave name-calling to the tabloids. We scientists are people, and we get things wrong \u2014 gloriously so with any luck. We are not intrinsically better than anyone else \u2014 maybe blessed with more neurons or lucky enough to get the right teachers at the right time \u2014 but not better<\/em>, not more worthy of not being put up against a wall and shot. Those with whom we disagree, even if they are demonstrably wrong in some areas, are as worthy of respect as we are. <\/p>\n \nThe sooner those of us who have this opportunity to spout off in public realize the immense harm we do in so many ways, maybe the sooner we’ll be able to have meaningful arguments \u2014 ones that actually persuade rather than beat down (and I am by no means holding myself guiltess).<\/p>\n \nPlease excuse the rant. Maybe it’s just the excellent homebrew<\/a> , and I’m feeling more expansive and loving today. Except towards hairy-footed, croc-wearing, male Nature<\/em> editors, of course. (I’m sorry if I seem to be picking on you, Henry. This attitude has been niggling me for a while and your comments have merely lowered the activation barrier. You’re curmudgeonly<\/a> but I love you.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I think I’m going to make myself unpopular. Over at Popsci, Henry advocates the murder of a reasonable percentage of the population. Elsewhere on the web this week I have read how over a million Londoners are quite obviously stupid … Continue reading